The extension work on the Guntur Channel is set to pick up pace soon with the State government initiating land acquisition for the works.
A long-pending demand of farmers, the extended canal will benefit people of Guntur, Bapatla and Palnadu districts. The project aims at stabilisation of 9,600 acres of ayacut, provide irrigation water to 38,400 acres of new ayacut and also ensure drinking water to these areas.
Shashi Bhushan Kumar, Principal Secretary of the Water Resources Department, told The Hindu that the land acquisition process would be completed by December 2023, as per the Land Acquisition Act. Work will commence after completion of the land acquisition.
The State government had accorded administrative sanction for the extension work of the Guntur Channel through G.O. No. 17 of the Water Resources (Projects-II) Department on January 10, 2019 at an outlay of ₹274.53 crore.
The extension is proposed from the tail-end of Guntur Channel from Garapadu village in Vatticherukuru mandal of Guntur district to Tondi Vagu (floodwater canal) of Bapatla district (erstwhile Prakasam district), covering a length of 27 km to serve an ayacut of 48,000 acres. That includes the new ayacut of 38,400 acres and to stabilize an ayacut of 9,600 acres under Nagarjuna Sagar right canal (NS Jawahar Canal) system tail end ayacut in Kakumanu and Mallayapalem majors with a discharge of 380 cusecs at the head. The existing Guntur Channel serves the needs of farmers for up to 47 km at Garapadu village.
The project work was awarded to Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Ltd under EPC turnkey system for ₹143.03 crore, Mr. Kumar added.
The Principal Secretary further explained that the alignment and hydraulic particulars for extension of Guntur Channel were approved in 2021. Based on the approved alignment, land plan schedules were submitted to the respective District Collectors in August 2021 for acquisition of the required land for excavation of the main canal in Bapatla district.
The preliminary notification for land of 381.33 acres in Guntur district was approved by the Collector for Garapadu village of Vatticherukuru mandal, Prathipadu, Enamadala, Mallayapalem, Kondepadu villages of Prathipadu mandal, Gorijjavoluguntapalem, Varagani, Ravipadu, Rajupalem, Palaparru and Annaparru villages of Pedanandipadu mandal in November and December 2022.
Villagers of Annaparru, Varagani, Rajupalem and Palaparru, seeking change of alignment, approached the High Court, and submitted representations to the Water Resources Department as well as at Spandana meetings organised by the District Collectors.
Based on a letter from the Guntur Collector, a technical team comprising M. Giridhar Reddy, Consultant (Design), Water Resources Department and Chief Engineer, CDO, Vijayawada inspected the alignment based on the representation of the villagers in April 2023. The technical team opined that the approved alignment was safe, feasible and economical.
The land acquisition in Bapatla district for an extent of 51.387 acres is in progress.
Meanwhile, former Minister and YSRCP MLA from Prathipadu, Mekathoti Sucharitha, said that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is committed to completing the project soon in keeping with his assurance to the people of this region.
| Sr. No | Assembly Constituency | District | Mandal | New Ayacut in Acrs | Stabilization Ayacut in Acrs | Total Ayacut in Acrs |
| 1 | Prathipadu | Guntur | Pedanandipadu | 12,523 acres | 9600 acres | 27416 acres |
| Prathipadu | 3232 acres | |||||
| Kakumanu | 2061 acres | |||||
| 2 | Parchuru | Bapatla | Parchuru | 20526 acres | 20526 acres | |
| 3 | Chilakaluripet | Palnadu | Chilakaluripet | 58 acres | 58 acres | |
| TOTAL | 38400 acres | 9600 acres | 48000 acres |
Source: Water Resources Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh
